POTC: Legend of the Fleur de Lis
by The Cheshire Kat
Summary: Cap'n Charlie Mac Cumhail had her inn burned down, her ship stolen, and crew kidnapped, by someone who's supposed to be dead. She launches a daring rescue mission with Jack, with more than just gold at stake.
1. Dead Men Tell No Tales

Hey all!  Thanks for taking the time to read my little fic.  And no, I don't own POTC, et all, but  I can use them in my stories!!  However, I do own Charlie and her crew, so nya nya na nya nya Disney! (*blows raspberry at mean people who won't sell her Jack and Johnny Depp then stops and looks around*  O-kaay, he he, onto the fic!

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Charlotte mac Cumhail (pronounced mac Cool), better known as Cap'n Charlie, sauntered into the most profitable bar and inn in Port Rose like she owned it- which she did.  She usually got stares when she was town, due to the fact that she wore breeches instead of dresses, but a cheer went up in the bar when she entered.  She smiled and bowed, removing her cap to reveal long gold hair braided into hundreds of tiny intricate strands.  A purple bandana covered her hair and her trusty tricorn hat covered that.  She wasn't that tall, but no one could mistake the air of superiority she held, the indistinguishable and comforting confidence that made her a true captain.  She slung her leg over a chair and sat down at a table with some of her crew.  Her right hand was immediately occupied with a glass of rum and her left was busy with five cards.  She threw her heavy purse on the table and gold coins spilled out.  

"Ye boys planning on losing yer money?" she asked innocently, "Cause I'll clean you out before the night's up".  A slight hint of an Irish accent made her speech lyrical and seductive, but her pose was anything but.  She glanced at Tom to her left and saw he was a fidgety.  Her eyes softened for a second and she placed her hand on the boys shoulder.  

"Mary'll be fine, Tom, don't worry" she whispered.  He looked at her and gave a small smile and it was then she noticed how pale he was.  His wife, Mary, was in labor upstairs at this very moment.  He was dying to go and see her, but Charlie knew it would just distress him and annoy the midwives.  She ordered a bottle of Jack Daniels (an: did they have that back then??  I dunno, but it sounds good, though) and five shot glasses.  They toasted three times, to life, piracy, and Tom, Mary, and the baby.  Now that they were good and smashed, Tom was relaxing and Charlie was satisfied he wouldn't break from being wound too tight.  They played cards for a while, Charlie winning most of the money.  Charlie grabbed her winnings and excused herself, wanting to go check on Mary and the baby. 

Charlie heard the labor pains in the hall and entered the room without knocking, closing the door behind her.  

"Hey Mary" she smiled and kneeled next to the gasping woman.

"He doesn't want to come out" Mary wailed, and Charlie could tell the poor girl was near to hysterics.  

"Shh, its okay luv.  He's just taking his own time about it is all.  He'll come out fine- when he's good and ready."  Charlie didn't flinch at the pain as Mary started to scream again and strangle her hand.  The contraction passed and Charlie looked over to one of the midwives, most of them from her own crew.  

"What are her contractions like?"

"They're getting closer and closer" Pip answered, ringing out a cold cloth in the wash basin.  

"See Mary?  That means little Tom is making his way into the world."

"I wish he'd just hurry up!" the seventeen year old girl sighed, closing her eyes.

"He will, sweetie, don't worry."  Charlie had never had kids of her own, but with a ship crewed by an equal number of men as women, things were bound to happen.  She'd delivered five godchildren so far, some of them on her own ship.  Mary screamed again and Charlie said soothing things to her, urging her to push.  Pip's head appeared from between the pregnant woman's legs with a grin.  

"He's coming, I can feel his head.  A few more pushes should do it!" the eighteen year old announced.  Suddenly a large boom was heard and Charlie cursed.  

"Bloody pirates!" Pip added, for the minute discounting the fact that she was a pirate, too.  

"It's probably a man" Charlie added, looking out the bay window.  She saw a large ship anchored off the coast and a spark of color.  Another BOOM radiated a second later, hurling a cannonball towards the small town.

"We're under siege, Gwen.  Ready the men- get Mitch, Jason, and Kyle up here and tell the rest to secure the inn and ship.  We'll come down after Mary's out of the woods, savvy?"  The petite woman nodded and ran out the door.  Charlie saw the longboats moving towards shore and cursed.  They'd be there in a matter of minutes.  A moment the door burst open and the aforementioned men poured in.  Tom took one look at his wife and promptly fainted.  Jason, a lanky man in his mid twenties, caught him deftly and deposited him safely on the floor.  

"Nice catch" Charlie grinned and winked.  The men had drawn their cutlasses and daggers, with pistols trained at the door.  Charlie could see the line of progress and her stomach clenched when she saw they were heading right for the inn.  She tried to think- should they move Mary, mid labor, to the safety of the ship?  Should they make a stand?  She hated the thought of losing the inn, but Mary and the babe were more important.  Charlie could clearly see the raiders now and a lump lodged itself in her throat, fear making her adrenaline spike.

She recognized these men.  

But it was impossible.

_He's dead_.

She had heard the reports.  Everyone said Barbossa had died on _Isla de Muerta_.  Jack Sparrow himself confirmed the account.  

Then how could be right at her front door?

~*~*~*~*~*~*  A/N *~*~*~*~*~*~

Dun dun dun!!!  Okay, this isn't going to be your typical girl/ Jack fic, so don't worry!  I want to do something original, so this is going to be extra creative since most things have already been done.  Most girls Jack meets are either hookers, crew members, hostages, or stowaways and most of them are slightly _bleh_ in my opinion- I wanted to write about a woman who is smart, capable, a captain, and a match for our fearless hero in every way (in the bedroom and out {hint, hint}) for he would accept no less, I think.  The rating will probably go up later as Jack enters the picture, but for now its' tame.  Okay, so, I'm done with my little shpeal and I'd love to hear your thoughts, so press the pretty grey review button, please.  I'll give you a walking, talking, smirking, perpetually hung over Jack doll to play with!  (and yes, he's agreeable to everything you say!)

Cheers! 

Ro


	2. Mary's Baby

Usual disclaimer- I don't make any money from this, it's a labor of love, so DON'T SUE ME!  

Now that that's done, we can get onto the fic.  I'd love ideas or anything anyone has to contribute- even flames, I guess (are those actually _constructive_??  They never really tell you what you're doing wrong.  Oh, well- I guess I'll never get it.)

Anyway- please R&R!

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Jack Sparrow crouched low in the streets of Port Rose. He had tailed Barbossa, who, damn him, was alive. Jack mentally cursed as he saw Barbossa's men, his former crew, march to an inn. It was a big place and looked like it turned a fair profit, but Jack sensed that there was more to it than that. He drew a dagger from his boot and made his way closer to the inn, prepared to help if they needed it. When they needed it, Jack amended. He looked up and saw a light ablaze. There was a beautiful woman in the window, standing defiantly, surveying the men below her. He suspected she owned the place because he saw the hatred blazing in her eyes. She suddenly whipped around, like something had caught her attention, and moved from her place in the window. Jack decided he'd offer his services and save her. Jack smiled wickedly in the night at the thought of how she might repay him. He hauled his weight onto a convenient trellis and climbed, swearing at the roses that stabbed his skin. He finally made it to the lit up window and nearly toppled over when he saw the number of people in the room. Four men, armed to the teeth, and more women, one of whom was yelling and cursing quite profusely. The beautiful one was holding a poor girl's hand, the one that was swearing to make a pirate proud, and it was then he saw she was not only wearing breeches but traditional Captain's garb at that. He assumed the discarded tricorn was hers, as well as the deep purple overcoat. He knocked on the window, and, not surprisingly, found six or eight pistols pointed at his head. He gently pushed open the window, making sure his hands were visible at all times. He slid into the room easily, his hands in the air and an unmistakable smile on his face.  
  
Charlie did a double take at the stranger who was now standing in her bedroom. She knew who he was, of course, so she waved her hand to call her men down. They lowered their weapons slowly, clearly not trusting the stranger. Charlie didn't trust him either, but she knew she could handle him.  
  
"Now, you look like a smart lad, so tell me why you're in my room" Charlie asked easily, her dagger drawn from places unknown.  
  
"Ya see, luv, there's a whole hell of a lot of pirates down stairs waiting to kill me and anyone else they fancy, namely you. I thought I'd come and help so you didn't have to fight them all on your onesies, savvy?"  
  
"Well, Jack, there's a whole hell of a lot of pirates up here wanting to kill _you_, so I think you'd best take your chances with Barbossa. Savvy?"  
  
Jack smirked as he heard his name. He was still well known. He swelled slightly and looked this woman up and down. She was a good head shorter than him, but he could tell she was a capable captain. He tried to smile charmingly, but due to where his thoughts were, it came off as suggestive. He saw her move forward and assumed she was going to slap him, so it took him by surprise when her fist connected with his stomach.  
  
"Don't ever look at me like that again, or you'll suddenly lose your pride and joy." She whispered in his ear. Her dagger flicked below his belt and then to his chest where she indicated his compass. His hand went instinctively to his most prized possession, and it was then that he found himself on the floor.  
  
Charlie had pushed the intruder away, nodding to Jason, and knelt beside Mary.  
  
"Come on, luv, one more push!" she said and Mary scrunched her eyes shut. She let out an ear piercing shriek and suddenly a new wailing was heard. Pip appeared from between Mary's legs again, grinning from ear to ear. She washed the baby and swaddled it, handing it to Charlie. Charlie took one look at the child and handed it to Mary.  
  
"Here you go, Mare, your baby girl" Charlie said softly. Mary breath caught as she looked at the pink bundle wailing in her arms.  
  
"It's a girl?" she questioned disbelievingly, tears running down her face. Charlie nodded and Mary smiled, placing the little girl to her nipple.  
  
"Welcome to the world, little angel." She whispered.  
  
Jack had never seen anything so amazing in his life. This deadly beauty had been threatening him one second and swaddling a baby with love and care the next, but the whole birth also had him dumbfounded.  It was obvious the girl was in a great deal of pain, yet the look of pure joy on her face was unmistakable.  How could one love something that brought them so much pain?  Jack was ripped from his philosophical thoughts when he heard the crash downstairs.  

"They've breeched the door" Jack stated the obvious, drawing his own pistol and cutlass, "and if I may be so bold, I suggest we leave."

"Jason, take everyone and get them to the boat.  I'm staying" Charlie ordered, replacing the dagger and removing a solid silver pistol with an ivory handle from her waistband.

"No, Charlie, that's suicide" Jason protested.  Pip had retrieved her cutlass from the couch and kept her eyes locked on the door.

"Follow your Captain's orders!  Take Mary and the baby and get to the ship.  We'll meet you there, but you have to go." Pip spoke up, but Jason made another attempt to change their minds.

"_Now_!" Charlie and Pip chorused, making the men jump.  Jack moved closer to the two females.  

"What the bleeding hell are you still doing here?" Charlie demanded, her eyes never leaving the door, her ears straining to hear the slightest sound of people approaching.  

"I told ye- I'm here to help, luv" He smiled warmly, momentarily disarming Charlie.  She hadn't expected anything genuine from this man- he was a philanderer and a pirate, a combination that not only made him untrustworthy, but _publicly_ untrustworthy.  Charlie pulled another pistol, identical to the one she already held, and pointed it at Jack's temple.  

"This isn't your fight- now leave."

"Hold on a tick, luv!  This _is_ my fight.  Barbossa made my men mutiny and took away my Pearl!" Jack nearly whined, thinking about his beautiful ship and all the trouble he had gone through to get her back.  

"Jack- go help Mary and the babe.  They need you more than we do" Charlie stated, her pistol moving back to the door.  

"No, luv.  They've got plenty of help- but its only you two up here."

"This charity wouldn't be because we're women, would it?" Pip asked, her eyes flashing as dangerously as her sword.  

"Not at all, poppit!  I'd do this for any fellow pirate against Barbossa."  Jack answered, and Charlie decided he might as well stay.  

"Fine, but don't expect me to drag your arse to safety if you get hurt" Charlie muttered.  Her heat bunched with fear as she heard her men pounding up the stairs.

"We lost the inn, Pip" Charlie said evenly, only Pip being able to decipher the true meaning behind the words.

"Not by a long shot, Charlotte.  Like Jack and his Pearl, we'll get the inn back."  Charlie smiled sadly at the words. She had put her heart and soul into this place.  She had rescued it from being condemned, and everyone thought she was crazy.  But, slowly and surely, it had become the masterpiece it was today.  It was more than just an inn- it was their _home_. Charlie pushed the melancholy thoughts away and focused on the sounds.  

The door burst opened with such force that Jack thought a cannon had been shot through it.  Twelve people entered, almost an equal split between men and women, and all of them pointed their weapons at the door.  Jack was surprised at how military this crew seemed to be.  

"Ready men?!  Mercy is for the weak!" Charlie shouted

"Death is for the traitors!" the crew cheered.  

Charlie swallowed her fear as she heard her inn being ravaged.  It made her blood boil to think Barbossa was putting his filthy hands on her things.  Her hand clentched tighter on the blade at the thought, and took these few seconds of reprieve to think of that she was going to do to the bleeding bastard when she got her hands on him.  Her fingers itched to be around his neck, and she almost smiled when the door burst open, framing the villainous pirate in the doorway.  

"Lilli, luv, what a nice surprise!" 

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Wow!  I didn't even see that one coming.  J  

It's that lovely time of day when you click the nice purple button and tell me what you think!

Cheers  

~Ro


	3. Old Wounds and Old Faces

This chap gives a little background and explains the last chapter a little.  Enjoy!!

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Charlie checked the urge, as Jack did, to rush Barbossa and slit his throat.  Memories flashed before Charlie's eyes, clouding her vision, making her lose all sense of reality.

_She felt the distinct sting of her father's handprint on her face, tears stinging her eyes and the fresh gash from his ring._

_"C'mon, Lilli!  If you don't hurry up I'll flay you to within an inch of your life, so help me!"  _

Charlie, now thirteen and named Lillith Barbossa, ran faster.  She was gasping along side the wagon loaded with gold.  She was dizzy, sick with a fever, and kept falling over.  She wished she could just sit on the wagon, but her father had forbidden it.

_"She's a little thief, that one, and'll rob us blind if we give her half a chance" he had insisted.  Lilli gasped for air and ran faster, fighting the spinning that made her run in a wavy line.  When her father's head was turned she felt an arm behind her, gently urging her on.  She turned to the young man, twenty at the most, and looked into his eyes.  He winked roguishly and gave her a cheeky grin, but his eyes betrayed the seriousness of his thoughts.  He fell back a little, keeping a firm grip on the girl's arm.  When they were out of sight of the wagon, the young man hoisted her like a sack of potatoes over his shoulder.  She murmured her thanks as she slipped into darkness.  _

_When she awoke, she was dry but heard many loud, angry voices.  _

_"Captain- he took my daughter!" she could hear her father's indignant yell reverberating in the wooden room.  _

_"Jack- did you take his daughter?" the captain asked, his tone mild but slightly annoyed._

_"Aye, sir.  She was dead on 'er feet- she would have dropped from sheer exhaustion had she run another step.  Barbossa wouldn't let her ride on the cart and she's burning up with fever."_

_Lilli felt her forehead.  She was burning up. That explained why she couldn't think straight and her head was pounding.   She knew, though, that her father would kill her for this, no matter what the Captain said.  Compared to what he'd done to her, it would be true that death was a blessing, but the young girl was determined not to let him win- no matter what.  Fearing for her life, she had jumped from her place on the floor and run to the door.  She had opened it without a noise and closed it just as softly.  She had run like the devil himself was on her heels, and hadn't stopped for a good hour.  Luckily the rain had stopped, so she was just cold.  She had seen an inn, a bright flicker in the hopeless darkness that was her life, and had stumbled into it.  The barkeep, a gentle man in his forties, had been shocked when she had passed out on his floor.  He had given her a room for the time being, until she was better.  _

_Lilli had woken a week later, gasping for air.  She had found herself lying in a bed in a small room, a washbasin and armoire the only furniture besides a chair that adorned the small room.  A fire crackled merrily in the fireplace, confusing Lilli even more.  _Where am I?_  Confused thoughts scrambled through her overwrought mind and she was startled when the door opened.  A kindly looking lady had walked in with a mug of tea, smiling at the girl lying in the bed.  She was so small and scrawny that the tiny bed dwarfed her form.  _

_"Now, dearie, how do you feel?" the woman had asked, handing the poor child the cup of sweet black tea.  _

_"Fine, thanks, I guess," she had answered, "Where am I?"_

_"The Golden Carousel" the woman had answered proudly, "my husband and I own it.  We're about three miles north of Port William"_

_Lilli saw the little map of the area in her mind, and she was amazed that she had covered three miles on her little escape trek.  _

_"What's your name, child?" the woman had asked, her face sincere in her worry for her young charge.  _

_"My name………" Lilli had groped in her mind for a name, any name, so long as it wasn't Lillith Ebony Barbossa. Her mind had scrambled for an answer.  Her favorite story growing up had been about Finneus Mac Cumhail, so she decided on Mac Cumhail for her last name.  Her mother's name had been Charlotte, a name she adored, so she chose that for her first name.   She cleared her throat, "My name's Charlotte.  Charlotte Mac Cumhail."_

Charlie cleared her mind of the memory.  It was then that she had ceased being Lilli and started being Charlie.  She still remembered the warm couple that had taken her in.  They had let her work for her keep, and she had become as dear as any daughter to them.  She stared at the man in front of her and felt the seething hatred again.  

"Why aren't you dead?" Charlie hissed, her blade going to the hollow of his neck.  

"You can't get rid of me that easily, Lilli" Barbossa chuckled, "Seems that you've turned out fine in my absence, though.  But, if I'd raised you, you'd never hold a cutlass to me throat."

"No, if I had stayed you'd have found a dagger in your heart in the middle of the night." Charlie snarled.  Barbossa turned to Jack and the smile on his lips faltered.  

"How do you bloody do that?" he asked, his annoyance palpable.  

"I told you- I'm Captain Jack Sparrow" he smirked, his own cutlass level with the devil's throat.

"Kill them all" Barbossa ordered, "except me daughter" he added, like an afterthought.  A mad fight ensued, each of Charlie's crew paired with two from Barbossa's.  They fought valiantly, another one of the mutinous crew falling each second.  

"C'mon!" Jack yelled, throwing open the bay windows.  They filed out, Pip, Charlie, and Jack covering the others.  Charlie blocked a well-placed thrust and turned to see who was left.  She motioned for Pip to leave, leaving Jack and Charlie to finish up.  Pip turned to leave when one of Barbossa's crew ran his sword through her turned back.

"No!" Charlie screamed, rushing to the aid of her fallen friend.  She cradled her body, tears stinging her eyes as Pip took a shaky breath

"You're not Lilli Barbossa anymore.  Don't let him turn you into her." She whispered, fighting the blackness clouding her vision.  

"I won't, Pip.  Please don't go.  You're all the family I've got left" Charlie cried, holding the petite woman's hand.  

"I'll save ye a seat and a glass of rum," Pip murmured, sliding into the darkness, "Bye, Charlie"

"Bye, Pip" Charlie kissed the dead girl's hand and turned to the rest of the men. 

"You're all dead- mark my words" she said with dead calm.  She threw a dagger at the nearest one, lodging it six inches into his skull.  

Jack stood stunned, amazed at this girl.  Something itched at the back of his mind, but he decided to ignore it for now- they had more pressing matters to attend to.  He climbed onto the trellis, this one covered with lilies, and shimmied down.  He saw Charlie's rather attractive backside following his path and smiled.  She jumped the last five feet and landed facing him, her eyes glowing an eerie green in the low light.  

"C'mon" she whispered, turning to a small path that led into the woods.  They raced through Port Rose to the docks, arriving out of breath.  Charlie scanned the masts for her tell tale pink sails, but didn't see them.  

"Where's me bloody ship?  And where the hell's me crew!?" Charlie slammed the wall with her fist in frustration.  The sound reverberated in the small alleyway they were in and suddenly she heard a wailing, like that of a small child, and she did a frantic search to find it.  She found the babe buried under a mound of blankets, fine except for being extremely hungry.  

The little baby wailed more, driving Jack to distraction.

"Can ye please shut it up?" he asked, pacing.

"Do you have any food for her?" she asked, shooting him a look meant to kill, "Didn't think so, so don't complain."

"It's okay, Angel, it's okay" Charlie murmured; then she began to sing:

_Gura mise tha fo eislean  
Moch sa mhaduinn is mi g'eirigh_

_O hi shiubhlainn leat  
Hi ri bho, ho rinn o ho  
Ailein Duinn, o hi shiubhlainn leat_

_Ma 's'en clusag dhuit a ghaineamh  
Ma 'se leabaidh dhut an gheamainn_

_Ma 's en t-iasg do choinlean geala  
Ma 's na Righ do luchd-faire_

The ancient Celtic ballad washed over Jack like the sea over the sand and the child seemed to fell it too, as she hushed instantly.  Her voice was enchanting, enthralling, and mystical.  He didn't understand the words, but the tone and rhythm made the meaning clear enough.  It was about lost love- he had heard enough drunk pirates sing about the one they left behind to know.  He closed his eyes, letting his tired mind rest for a moment.  

Charlie had known no other way to calm the babe, and was startled to see Jack sitting on an abandoned crate listening to her.  His expression was so unguarded, so open, she couldn't help but stare.  She moved to sit with the child, snuggling it closer to her.  It's tiny hands clawed at her shirt, trying to get to her breast to feed.  She regretted that she had no milk to give it.  The little angel dropped off to sleep, finally warm, and Charlie gazed at the sleeping innocent.  She stopped singing and checked her coins, happy to find it twice as full as it had been before her poker game.  She kicked Jack lightly, making him start.  

"What?" he asked, rubbing his eyes.

"You were asleep." Charlie stated.  

"I was?" he asked, confused, "It didn't feel like I was asleep- I just closed me eyes"

Charlie gave a soft laugh.  "That's what's typically called sleeping, Jack"

The sound of his name made him think of how Barbossa had called her Lilli.  

"Why'd Barbossa call you Lilli?" he asked nonchalantly, yawning and rubbing the back of his neck.

"Why does Barbossa kill?  No particular reason at all." Charlie replied, keeping the emotion out of her voice.  

Jack remained silent, contemplating this lack of an answer.  He didn't want to push her and make her suspicious.  Then, like a bolt of lightning, it hit him.  _Lillith Barbossa!_  Was this the scrawny girl he had saved all those years ago?  Couldn't be!  But…

"Ye wouldn't happen to be Lillith Barbossa, would ye?" he asked bluntly.  Charlie's eyes shot up and locked on his.

"No, I'm not." She said vehemently, "She died a long time ago of a fever." She added quietly, busying herself with the child.  

Jack knew she was lying, but the thought tugged at the back of his mind.  _She's not really lying, Jacky boy.  She's _not_ little Lilli Barbossa anymore.  That girl was shy and scared, and the woman in front of you is most definitely neither.  _It made sense.  Why would she keep the name of a man that had beat her and probably worse?  

"Of course yer not, luv- I was just wondering if she had fared all right.  I carried her to camp one night and when I was done arguing with Barbossa, she was gone.  Kinda missed her"  

Charlie nearly gasped at these words.  _Jack_.  Her savior.  Could this man be him??  She wished she could be certain.  She had always regretted not giving him a proper thanks, but now that she had the opportunity, the words failed her.  _Is it him?_

"I…you saved my life." She whispered, "In more ways than you'll ever know.  You'll always have my loyalty." She offered, her green eyes boring on his, impressing upon him the seriousness of what she was saying.  

"It was nothing, luv.  I just followed me misguided and slightly underused conscience and did what it demanded." He gave her a small smile, feeling happy that she had gotten away and seemed to have prospered.  

"No, Jack.  It wasn't nothing.  It was _everything_.  You gave me the courage to leave.  You reminded me that there are good people in this world.  You gave me just enough time to get away.  You saved my life." She said, grabbing his arm with her free hand, a rare show of emotion.  

"I'm glad everything worked out for the best." Jack gave a slight cough, the emotions getting to be a little too much for him, "So- what did you do after you left?"

"I ran for three miles and passed out on the floor of the Golden Carousel in a port town.  There I learned how to run an inn, what the term "honest days work" meant, how to be a thief, how to pick locks, and how to beat anyone at poker."

Jack laughed, a pleasing sound that made Charlie's stomach jump.  It was so masculine, but so easy going and soothing.  All the men she'd been with had been the typical men- which had earned them a one-night stand.  She'd never been interested enough to see them the next morning- but she had a sinking suspicion she'd stick around if anything happened between her and Jack, which was dangerous at this point.  She shifted the baby from one arm to the other, having released Jack some time ago, and felt something odd under the babe.  She pulled it out and stared at it.  It was a piece of paper- folded and warm.  Charlie handed Angel to Jack, much to his discomfort, and unfolded the parchment.  She glanced at Jack, and something inside her thought he was incredibly sexy holding a baby.  Once he'd gotten her situated, he actually looked comfortable.  The small smile playing on her lips died when she look at the parchment.  The words made her blood run cold.  

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

_Lilli dearest –_

_Your friends are safe, for the moment.  It's time for you and I to collect, so if you value their lives, you'll meet me at The Rusty Screw in Tortuga, three days from now._

_Your father,_

_Commodore Barbossa_

Ps.  If you want them to live, I wouldn't arrive with Jack Sparrow 

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Charlie cursed loudly, making Jack quirk an eyebrow at her.  

"He's got me crew, and if I don't meet him alone in Tortuga in three days, he'll kill them." She sat down heavily, not realizing when she had gotten up.

"Don't worry, luv- ye've got Captain Jack Sparrow on the case.  He'll not 'arm a one."

"Jack- grow up!  He doesn't care about them and he doesn't need them.  As soon as it's convenient, he'll kill them and me, and you if you tag along."  Jack took the letter and read it, a frown creasing his tanned forehead.  

"What does he mean by _its time for you and I to collect_?"

"Not important" Charlie answered tersely.  

"I believe it is.  If ye want me help, luv, ye'v got to be straight with me, savvy?"

"It's none of your concern, _Mr._ Sparrow" she quipped, narrowing her eyes dangerously.  

"Fine" Jack seethed.  He'd bloody helped her and she was being damn stubborn.  _Women!_  He handed her the child and stormed off, kicking a crate as he left.  Charlie's stomach turned as she watched him go- now she had to face Barbossa alone.  Would she be able to?  But, had she told Jack, could he have resisted the temptation?  All these questions buzzed in her mind as she set about finding food for the babe.

What am I going to do? 

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Okay, all done!  The story picks up after this- lots of sailing, etc and sword fights!!  So, please bear with me!

The song Charlie sings is from Rob Roy, a great movie.  It's a very sad song, but the woman in the movie sings it beautifully!

Cheers to all those who love JS!

~ Ro

POTC comes out on DVD **_TOMORROW_**!!!

Woohoo!


	4. Hey All

Hey everyone!! I am SO sorry I haven't updated in, like, forever, but school got me swamped and I was working all summer. I'm in college now (finally! No more APPLICATIONS!!) Anyway, this is just a little note to tell everyone to look out for more of their favorite fics coming soon (My writer's block is also gone, so my stuff won't suck anymore. Yea!!) Thank you all so much for leaving reviews even though I haven't updates in a while. Luv ya!

The one and only Cheshrie Charlie


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